ASSESSMENT OF HETEROSIS AND COMBINING ABILITY FOR YIELD AND YIELD CONTRIBUTING TRAITS IN TOMATO GENOTYPES UNDER MID-HILL CONDITIONS

An experiment was carried out at the Vegetable Research and Demonstration Block, Department of Vegetable Science during the year 2018-19.The experimental material for the present study consisted of F 1 populations of five parents and ten crosses, developed by crossing these five diverse tomato lines in a half-diallel design.(Excluding reciprocals).All the parents and their hybrids along with the standard check (PS2255) were planted in a Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications for their evaluation.Significant heterobeltiosis and Standard heterosis was observed in a desirable direction for all the traits.Four crosses exhibited significant positive heterosis over better parent, mid parent and standard check.The Pant T-3 Roma cross exhibited maximum heterosis over better parent (61.90%), and standard check (45.20%) followed by Roma Arka Alok, Roma LC-1 and LC-1 Arka Alok for fruit yield per plant.Further, the parent Pant T-3 emerged as a good general combiner for days to first fruit harvesting, number of fruits per plant, equatorial diameter and fruit yield per plant.Whereas, Roma was identified as good general combiner for average fruit weight, fruit volume and polar diameter.The highest specific combining ability for fruit yield was shown by Pant T-3 Roma.Whereas, different cross combinations showed the good specific combining ability effect in different yield and yield attributing traits in desirable direction.